Enter the Tory leadership race online

Or at least get a feel for it in new online game

It's looks like man-of-many-chins Ken Clarke is about to enter the Tory leadership election, bringing the number up to five and so this is as good a time as any to plug a new online game built by Floppidog which aims to give you the unique political experience.

Called HonourableMember, the aim is to start as a backbencher and work your way up to prime minister through a combination of political cunning, crafty alliances and dodgy dealings.

The idea for the game came during the tedium of the recent election, we were told by one of the game's designers: "After a few beers, we decided that we wanted to do something to encourage a proper debate of the policies rather than just discussing politicians."

The result is a multi-player, advanced, amusing and fairly realistic representation of the political process and the House of Commons. If the intention is to involve the player in the intricacies and complexity of politics, it works.

At the start, it is all a bit overwhelming and confusing, despite the instructions. There are also a few bugs to be ironed out but the basic premise here is a good one. Play against others with agreed time limits on the next set of decisions you make and it's not hard to see that it could become an excellent strategy game.

The game needs to be made simpler at the start, with building complexity, but check it out and tell the boys what you make of it.

Once the politicians have stopped slapping (Labour), stroking (LibDems) or stabbing (Tories) each other in the back perhaps Floppidog could get one of them to play it.

Anything to take them away from the leadership election. God help us all. ®